Improvement in melodeons



UNITED STATES PATENT EEICE,

PETER'J. PUETZ, OF MILVAUKEE, IVISUONSIN.

IMPROVEMENT IN MELODEONS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 43,437, dated June 2T, i865.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PETER JTUETZ, of Milwaukee, in the county o' Milwaukee, in the State of Wisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mclodeons; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description ofthe same, reference be ing had tothe accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

Figure I represents a front view ofthe melodion with the top casing in section. Fig. IIis a cross-section ofthe same, taken at the line (o I), Fig. III; and Fig. III shows a top view or plan with the top casing removed.

Similar letters represent similar parts.

In the accompanying drawings, A represents the melodeon-case B to B13, the keys; D, the bellows, and E E the pedals acted upon by the feet to operate the bellows in the usual manner. The several keys are connected through their rods c to als with a set of valves placed below said keys and constructed in the usual manner.

In the front of the rods af, &c., a set of reeds, F, are arranged, capable ot' being closed by a shutter, Gr. Behind the rods a', 85e., a set ot reeds, H, are arranged, closed by a shutter, J. A third set of reeds, L, is arranged at theback 'end of the melodeon, closed by a sliding bar, N.

The valves operatedby the keys B, 85e., through their rods d', &e., communicate with their respective reeds, both in the row F-and H, so that when both shutters G and J are opened two notes will be sounded by one touch ot'a key. The reeds F are one octave higher than those in H.

On one sidevof the instrumenta shaft, K, is placed, provided with two levers, d and h, and connected, by means of a rod, c, with a lever, f, capable of being operated by the knee of the player. The lever d operates the shutter rI and the lever 7b operates the shutter G in such a manner as to open the same when required, while suitable springs are arranged to shut said shutters and keep the same closed when not acted upon by their respective levers. These levers d and h are so arranged that a short motion of the lever f, and consequent-ly ofthe shaft K, will open only the shutter J of the reeds H, while a further or longer motion of said .lever f, and consequently of the shaft K,

will act upon the shutter G ofthe reeds F and open these reeds. The reeds H are always a little open, and are those usually played with, and a further opening ofthe sh utter J of these reeds will increase the volume of the sound, while the opening ot' the shutter G and of the reeds F will produce two notes, the one one octave higher than the other.

The shutter or sliding bar N, which opens or closes the reeds L, is operated through the crank-lever M in connection with the upright lever O, which latter is moved by means ot' a sliding bar passing through the face-board Q and finishing in a knob, 2.

To the key B a lever, I), is attached, turning on a center, 5, and to the other end ofthis lever P another lever, It, is fastened, attached to a spindle, S, in connection with the valve communicating with one of the reeds in the row L. This spindle S is held in its position to keep its valve closed by means of a suitable spring, and the motion of the key B communicated to the lever I?, and through the latter to the lever It, will cause the end of said lever R to turn or move only slightly on the spindle S, without operating the same to open the valve connected to said spindle. About the middle of said lever R a swinging bar or rod, V, is arranged, operated by the crank-lever W, in connection with the upright lever T, which latter is moved by means of a sliding bar, T', passing through the face-board Q and finishing in a knob, 4E. This swinging bar V is suspended from links i, by which arrangement said bar will be moved a little upward when the links i are in an inclined position, as represented in the drawings, while said barV will move downward when the links i are in a perpendicular position. Vhen said bar V is brought downward the lower edge of this bar V will come in contact with the upper edge of the lever It, and act in that case as a fulcrum for said lever R to turn upon, instead of turning on the spindle S, as above described. By this arrangement when the knob ais pulled out, and consequently likewise the sliding bar T', the swinging barV willbe brought to bear upon the upper edge of the lever R, and when the key B' is now moved the motion thereby communicated to the lever It will cause the latter to turn upon the swinging bar V, similar to 2 i f fra/rae turning on a fulcrum, and produce thereby sufticient motion at its other end to operate the spindle S, and consequently its' valve of the reed in the row L.

As before mentioned, the shutters J and G were open, by which we obtained already two notes by one touch of the key B', and by this described arrangement we obtain now three notes by one touch of the key.

To the pin a: at the end of the lever P a lever, X, is attached, the other end ot' which is attached to the rod am operated by key B13. The end ofthis lever X is attached only loosely' to the rod am of key B13, so that themotion ot' the key B does,by this arrangement, not give sufcient power to operate the valve beow said key B13.

About in the middle of thelever X a swinging bar, V, is arranged above said lever X, similar in construction and arrangement to the swinging bar V, and operated by the cranklever W in connection with the upright lever T3, which latter is moved by means of a sliding bar passing through the face-board Q and finishing in aknob, 3. This swinging' bar V is likewise suspended from links, and when said bar is moved so as to come into its lowest position the lower edge ot' said bar V will come in contact with the upper edge ot' the lever X, acting then asa fulcrum for said lever X to turn upon. When, therefore, in this latter position of the swinging bar V, the key B is moved or pressed downward, the lever l) will communicate motion to the lever X, turning on the bar V as a fulcrum, so as to operate the rod am of the 'key B13, andthereby open the valve operated by this rod als, giving thereby, as the shutters J and G are open, two more additional notes, and consequently, together with the above mentioned three notes, weobtain now by one motion ofthe key five. distinct and separate notes.

I have described here, and likewise shown in the drawings, only the connection and mechanism ot' one key; but it will be readily understood that in the same manner every other key can be connected, in consequence of which, when four keys are moved at one and the same time twenty notes will be sounded, and when eight keys are moved at one time forty notes or sounds will be produced at one and the same time.

The upper part of the casing Al is hinged to the lower part, A, at p, or near the bottom of the mechanism, and is secured at the front by suitable bolts or hooks, suitable provisions being made to give the usual and necessary'opcning to operate the keys and knobs. By this arrangement of hinging the whole of the upper part of the case near the bottom of the mechanism I obtain a ready and easy access to the mechanism, when required for cleaning or any other purpose, as said upper casing may be turned on its hinges at p, so as to expose to view all the inner arrangement, as shown in red lines iu the drawings.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is`

1. The arrangement of closing and opening the reeds at F and H by means of shutters J and Gr, and operated by arms d and h, fast to a shaft, K, when arranged and operating in the manner substantially as described.

2. Operating the shaft K by means of a lever,f, acted upon by the knee of the player, in such a manner as to open either one set of reeds or both sets, as may be desired, substantially as set forth.

PETER JOSEPH PUETZ.

Witnesses:

JAMES A. MALLORY, WERNER TRIMBonN. 

